Outsider's Eye
by Haywire9
Summary: Zuko was born without the flame. His father didn't care for an heir that couldn't burn things. His mother left at a young age. He was cast out, save for a few allies. He was given an impossible task. But that was before he met a being from between the worlds. He's had time to consider, and quite frankly he isn't sure the task in question is worth carrying out.
1. Chapter 1

Outsider's Eye

 **Howdy folks! Haywire here. Obviously. This is my account...**

 **Regardless, I've gotten a lot of traffic on Outsider's Eye ina really short time. SO I guess I'mma write an** _ **actual**_ **story this time, not just a One-shot. A few really important things to note before you go any further. This will not be a super straightforward thing. It's not gonna be just "the outsider marks Zuko, powers galore" This is gonna be a little AU. You'll understand more as you read it, hopefully. I'm gonna leave it at that and move on.**

 _Banished._

That's the only word running through Prince Zuko's head right now. He keeps going over in his head the implications of that word, and wonders if there's anything he could have done differently to avoid it. He can't think of anything, at least, nothing that wouldn't make him feel like a monster. _My eye should hurt_ , he thinks, but all he feels there is cold. The doctors said they wouldn't be able to save his eye. He believes them. He desperately wishes they were wrong, but -

A slight knock on the door of his cabin jars him from his thoughts. The door creaks open slightly.

"Prince Zuko?"

Ah. His uncle. At least someone cares. With a mumbled acknowledgement, Iroh steps inside.

"Prince Zuko, I know you are hurting right now. But please, don't let yourself waste away in your room."

Numbly, he nods, before dragging himself out of bed. He moves up to the decks above. His crew acknowledges him as he goes on his way. None of their faces hold any malice for his gruff demeanour. None of them have, over the last couple weeks. He knows it's pity, and he hates that, but he swallows his pride and deals with it, because they're the onlykind looks he's seen since his mother left.

Over the next three years, he comes to realize that his father gave him this task knowing full well it was doomed to failure. Zuko had mostly resigned himself to a life of exile. Despite the constant anger below the surface, he forces that down to deal with his crew; they're the only good thing that's happened to him, the crew and his uncle. Flying off the handle doesn't do anyhing but make everyone stuck at sea with you angry, and that's dangerous when those people need to have your back.

So Zuko bottles that rage up, only releasing it during spars.

 _His left side is ungaurded after a fireball. Exploit that. His kicks make breaking his root easy. Leg sweep, block the spear, fire at the third one. Pivot, dodge, fire pistol. Sword to the throat of the last one, go for the kill-_

"That is enough, Prince Zuko." lingering only for a moment, he pulls the sword away from his adversary's throat.

"Sorry," he mumbles. "I got carried away."

"Agni, Zuko," Jee calls out, leaving his title out. "You're a monster with that sword!"

The sword in question was a gift from his uncle, crafted by a Natural Philosopher and tested by his old master, Piandao to make sure the sword was of sufficient quality. Folding away, it's designed for easy concealment. Engraved on the blade is the inscription: Never give up without a fight. It's been Zuko's philosophy for years, as his life has been one fight after another. He was told by his father once that he was lucky to be born. Might be the only honest words to come from his father's mouth.

After all, when he was born without the spark, it's a miracle his father didn't smother him then and there.

"Sir, we'll be pulling into port tomorrow. We need to pick up more whale oil."

"Of course," Zuko replies. "Make sure to pick up more than usual, we have a long trip ahead of us."

Zuko may not like his father, but he'll be damned if he won't still try to complete his mission, if only so he can see the fire nation again. _Serkonos is lovely this time of year. It's a shame I'll never see that summer home again._

At that thought he wanders off to his room to sleep for a bit, he's been sparring all day, and his trip south will be a long one.

A golden eye snaps open. Zuko sits up with a start. Where was he? _This doesn't feel like my ship._ He gets up and starts moving to open the door. It crumbles to black stone at his touch. _What's going on here?_ Tentatively, he steps out, only to be met with an endless sea of dark clouds and an dim blue glow. Suddenly, he feels a presence, fast approaching. He tries to move but can't. Someone fades into his view, assembling itself out of the cold stone. It- adn he refuses to believe this is a _person_ \- gazes seemingly into his soul, with pitch black eyes.

"Hello Zuko. I've been watching for some time. Cast out into the world, you are alone save for a few allies. A non-bending royal. Your own father didn't want you. Your mother, gone at a young age. Your eye stolen from you. Your life ripped away. And yet you press on. I've taken an interest in you. And so, I give you my mark. With it, you will have control over forces beyond other men, forces mortals call magic. It's time for you to leave the void. Know I will be watching with _great interest_."

As his vision fades yet again, he snaps awake yet again. This time he's in his cabin. For real. Gazing down at his hand, he's stunned. His hand is glowing.

Though, maybe he's more stunned by the fact his hand feels like it's _on fire._

As the pain finally settles, the prince finds an ornate pattern seared into his flesh. a pair of semicircles with spikes, surrounding a dot. He runs a finger across it, feeling a thrum of power course through him. For a brief moment he's furious. Some kind of spirit. . . _branded_ him. When his fist clenches though, he feels that surge of power again. He glances down, realizing his hand is glowing once more. Upon releasing the fist, a small pinpoint of light solidifies in his hand. He finds that when he drops it, it pulls him to wherever it lands.

His mind races at the possibilities. This power that has been gifted to him will be invaluable, hopeless though his mission might be. _So what else can I do?_

What else he can do, Zuko quickly realizes, is nothing. Though he did learn he can dispel his beacons, so at least he has that going for him.

The next day in port is an interesting turn of events. As his crew pulls into port to refuel and restock, Zuko hears...no, feels... _senses_ a sort of pull, off down the docks. A faint hint of whalesong seems to reverberate in his soul, and he follows it. When the singing is so loud he can barely think, he stops. At his feet are several large bits of whalebone. Some small part of his mind tells him to take them, and he finds he has no desire to resist that urge. The singing settles down as he fits them into his bag. Finally shaking himself out of his stupor, he heads back to his ship, and waits for the crew to return.

Several days later, the crew is far out at sea, with little to do but spar and play at music night, which Zuko refuses to do, but doesn't begrudge his crew for needing a way to unwind. As for himself, Zuko is compelled to carve a design into his whalebone. As he does, he feels himself drained of his energy, but he can't bring himself to stop. When he's done carving, he finds that his pattern has burned itself onto the bone in much the same wayit did his hand. The newly carved whalebone sings once more, calling him to put a drop of blood on them. Before he knows what he's doing, he's knicked his thumb and dripped the crimson fluid onto the runes.

The effect is immediate. The runes disintegrate, falling away into flakes of stone from the other world. As this happens, the prince's mind is flooded with both power and knowledge. He's acquired a new power.

Summoning the crystal of power he uses in his teleportation, he instinctivle reaches up to the torched remains of his eye socket. Without a single thought, he jams the crystal in where his eye should be. It's agonizing, but the pain fades as quickly as it came. As the crystal settles in place, he realizes he has depth perception once more. What's more, if he focuses, he can see through walls.

His uncle rushes in just then, in a panic.

"Prince Zuko," He manages to get out around his rapid breathing, "I sensed a large spiritual presence just now! What happened?"

Zuko hesitates for a moment, and then:

"A few days ago I was pulled into the spirit world."

These words make Iroh even more distraught, and it takes far too long to calm him down. When he is finally calm enough to listen, the prince continues.

"As I was saying, when I woke up in my cabin the door fell away to nothing. It didn't look right. I couldn't move when the spirit appeared. He gave me this," gesturing to his mark, "saying I was 'interesting,' whatever that means.

"Zuko, did you make a deal with a spirit? Do you have any idea, how dangerous that is?"

"It wasn't much of a deal. I didn't get a choice; he just branded me and then pushed me out."

Iroh contemplates for a moment. "This is distressing. Tell me, does this spirit brand do anything?"

After a brief rundown of his abilities, Iroh declares he's unfamiliar with any spirits quite like the one that gifted him these powers. For now, they agree that it's best not to dwell on it too much.

In the following days, not much changes, though Zuko learns that his crystal eye has some interesting capabilities, in that it can't be seen by others, and also that it has the ability to show him the most direct path to his goal. This isn't very helpful, as the most direct path usually involves going over obstacles or through crawlspaces.

Finally, several more days in their trip south, The entire ship sees a massive column of blue light. Zuko is hopeful for the first time in months.

"That light came from an extremely powerful source! HELMSMAN! Set a course for the light!"

The Avatar has returned, and Zuko wants to have a word with him.

 **That'll be all for me. I can't think of a better stopping point. So we'll pick up next time. I'm glad people were interested in this, because it might be fun to see how far I can run with this. I'd like to note that marked are basically unheard of, though they** _ **do**_ **exist. As such, there's not an Abbey out for heretic blood, though using your powers might make people think you're possessed by a spirit, which isn't as far off the mark as one would like, I suppose. I'm hoping this is enjoyable to y'all, because Dishonored is in my top ten games of all time, and A:TlA is one of my favorite shows. I'm trying to create a blend of the two worlds, with elements from both, while maintaining Avatar's world.** _ **ANYWAY**_ **, I'll quit talking your ear off now.**

 **-Haywire**


	2. Chapter 2: The South Pole

Outsider's Eye

Chapter 2: The South Pole

When Zuko's ship reaches the South pole, he is stunned by how small the Water Tribe's population is. That doesn't stop him from coming out, sword drawn, flanked by two firebenders, and ready for a fight right then and there. He doesn't make any particular moves to show aggression, though he does keep a hand on the seemingly empty hilt at his side.

"I'm looking for the Avatar. Give him to me, and I'll leave you and your village alone."

He takes their bafflement to be defiance initially. When he presses them further, he realizes they don't know what he's talking about. The young warrior that rushes him barely gets a reaction out of him: a quick-draw of his pistol, and a thump on the head from his blade's grip.

 _Is this really all they left defending their village?_

Shaking that thought aside, he questions the locals about the light from several days ago, and when this gets a reaction from the girl, he begins questioning her, loudly demanding everything she knows. When he can't coax an answer out of her that way, he signals his men, and they begin lashing out with flames, with the intent to destroy the Tribe's "fortifications." Before anything can happen, a voice calls out.

"STOP!"

It's not the voice of an old man, certainly not a master of elements. He turns to the source, and sees a child. When the boy declares that he is the Avatar, Zuko takes note of his tattoos, the mark of a master airbender. Most importantly, though he notes the boy's apparent age.

The poor kid couldn't have been older than thirteen.

Something about that strikes a nerve in Zuko, and his demeanour changes. No longer is he raging, calling for the attack. He calls off his men, and says something that throws everyone present for a loop.

He requests a moment to speak to the Avatar. Alone. Sending his men back to the ship, and thinking back to the beacon he left on his cabin floor, he pulls the young bender into one of the many tents scattered throughout the small village.

"So... what did you wanna talk about?" the Avatar asks, not seeming to realize the potential danger he's in.

Zuko doesn't answer at first. Several thoughts run through his head, not least of which that he's found his mission's goal. it'd be too easy to grab the boy and warp back to the ship, none of them know his powers. He's not going to do that though, because of the other thoughts racing through his mind.

The Avatar, the greatest threat to the Fire nation, was a twelve-year-old kid. He remembers what his father did to him, his own flesh and blood, and decides that whatever he intended for the Avatar is worse. He decides then and there that he won't allow his father to subject another child to what he went through. Nobody deserves that. Taking position at the entrance to the tent, he begins speaking.

"I am prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, and I was sent here to capture you."

The boy's eyes widen, but before he can ask anything zuko continues.

"I'm not going to, though. I know what my father's like, and I'm not going to subject anyone else to that. I need your help."

It's a crazy idea, but it's been resting in the back of his mind for some time now, and he figures that if he's never going to see the isles again, he might as well try to do something right for once. So, without any further delay, he tells the Avatar of his plan.

"I need your help bringing my father down. He's cruel, self-serving, and cares for nothing but power. If he continues to lead my country, we may never see the end of the war."

The Avatar, whom he no knows is named Aang, makes a sound of confusion, as if he didn't know about the war raging on, or the genocide of his people.

So the prince tells him he'll explain later, but for now all he needs to know is that the world is at war with the Fire Nation, and that Zuko's father is responsible for the continuation of it. Aang accepts this answer for now, and asks what is going to happen next. Zuko tells him that for now, there is nothing either of them can do, and that he'll find a way to contact Aang at a later time, but for now, he needs to go.

As Zuko exits the tent, he starts toward his ship, but he nearly trips over somehting before he's back onboard. It's the young tribesman from before, still knocked out in the snow. With a sigh, he realizes he needs to deal with the boy on his ship before he does anything. With an order to bring him to the ship's physician, Zuko follows after.

Fortunately the head injury didn't cause any lasting harm, and the prince and his men bring the boy back out to the village. The boy's sister flies into a panic upon seeing her brother laid out on a stretcher, but Zuko simply hands her some salves from the ship, and leaves it at that. On his way out he apologizes to the elder of the village, and returns to his ship.

Apparently, news travels fast, because his uncle has come up from below deck to speak with him. Zuko lets himself be dragged to his uncle's quarters, answering all of the older man's questions.

"Why did you allow the Avatar to go free? Your return was at hand, you could have easily taken him, especially with the. . . talents now at your disposal."

"I'm many things, Uncle, but I'm not heartless. You heard from the crew. He was just a kid. You _know_ what my father would do to him if we brought him in. I've already lost my eye, and I've already been dishonored. He doesn't want me taking the throne, he gave that to Azula already. Even if I succeeded, he'd be waiting for a chance to remove me from the picture. Permanently. All I'd be doing is condemning a child to a fate nobody deserves."

Aside from that though, is the knowledge that his powers are unknown. They give him an edge that nobody else can have. It's already restored his sight, and given him the ability to teleport. Maybe, if he continues gathering whalebone, and continues making runes, he can tap into the gap between worlds with more power. New abilities could certainly be useful. He considers everything that must now be done. He needs to inform the crew, hope that they're willing to help, instead of throwing him to the wolfhounds. He needs to secure further contact with the Avatar. He needs to figure out where he can meet with him.

First things first, his crew deserves to know what's going on. He will not leave them in the dark. Sending out an order to have everyone on deck in twenty minutes, he Returns to his cabin to make preparations. First he gathers his thoughts, and contemplates what exactly he should tell them. He decides they need to know the whole truth, or they won't trust him. Then he gathers up his more combat-appropriate clothing, putting it on. He removes the gloves he was wearing, and steels himself. As he comes up above deck he sees his entire crew, save essential personnel, standing there waiting on him.

With a deep breath, he begins. He paces back and forth as he addresses his crew.

"First off I'd like to thank you all for standing with me this whole time. I understand some of you have questions. Allow me to answer them. Today when we were in that village, I was right. We found the Avatar. I didn't bring him in. You might be asking why not, and the reason is because he's just a child. And I think that we _all_ know what the Fire Lord does to children. You all know why I, and by extension you, are on this ship right now."

At the several acknowledgements of his words, he paused, then continued:

"Secondly, I'd like to tell you what I'm doing. I'm going to actively oppose my father. I am absolutely certain that he is unfit to rule, and as such I am going to collaborate with the Avatar to bring him down. You've all known me for three years. I wouldn't do this if I didn't think it was right. If you disagree, then you're welcome to leave when we next reach port. "

There is an immediate reaction as he stops speaking, several men talking amongst themselves. Ignoring them, he continues.

"I know, I'm asking a lot of you, so I won't hold it against you if you want to leave. But what I want to do is end the war. It's hurting the entire world. You've seen the towns and villages we've been through. The Fire Nation is bleeding them dry. Before I got sent out into the world because of my exile, I thought what we were doing was right. Agni, up until a short time ago I was going to attempt to complete my mission even if I didn't approve. "

The prince stops for a moment.

"Did I ever tell you what I did to ivoke my father's ire? What could have possibly been so bad that I deserved to have part of my face melted off and then get kicked out of my home, with nothing but an outdated scout ship? I _spoke out of turn_. I shouted at a general because his strategy was going to send an entire division of loyal citizens to face elite earth kindgom forces, untrained. He was willing to pointlessly throw away lives for a strategy that wasn't very sound to begin with."

As he stops pacing, he turns to face his crew.

"I'm afraid I have to have an answer from you now. If the answer's yes we're about to aid the greatest threat to the fire nation in the overthrowing of the current Fire Lord. It's entirely understandable if you want nothing to do with this. But I'm asking anyway. Do I have your help?"

At first nobody moves. Then slowly, Jee steps forward. Shortly thereafter, the entire crew steps forward one by one, vowing to aid him in this endeavour. Zuko feels a great weight lift off his shoulders, relieved that his crew is loyal to him. This small ship stands with him at the very least. Releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding, he continues.

"Thank you. It is a great honor to serve beside you all, and I only hope that we can make this work. However, before you're all dismissed, I have one more thing to talk to you about."

Taking his hand from behind his back, he shows them the brand on his hand. He tells them everything, from the dream, to the brand's appearance, to the abilities it bestows. They're skeptical at first, but a few demonstrations convince them pretty well. The following days and weeks, the crew made port to restock, taking extra care to gather any whalebone they can find, stockpiling it for the prince. Zuko starts tracking down rumors of the Avatar again, listening for any rumors that might be spreading.

Nothing yet, though given that Aang is going to need a waterbending instructor, the Northern continent of Pandyssia, and the Water Tribe living there come to mind. Consulting a map, he comes to the conclusion that the Avatar will have to pass by Kyoshi Island.

Perfect. Maybe he can catch up there.

 **Howdy folks. Sorry I've taken so long uploading another chapter, it's just that between my classes, my other writing, and various other things filling out my schedule, I haven't been free to do this. Add that to the fact that I only write when I can get some momentum, and I have trouble getting motivated to update. Personally I don't know what to think about this chapter. I'd like to point out though that Zuko straight-up lost his eye in this story, though, and has had time to mull these things over. Consider also that not being a bender means that his emotions are not literally tied to a fire. He can probably rein things in a little better.**

 **Anyway, I'm done rambling. If you have any criticism to offer, feel free to share it. I don't actually know what I'm doing, so if you have advice to give, it's welcome.**

 **-Haywire.**


	3. Chapter 3: The Harbor

Outsider's Eye

Chapter 3

 _ **Howdy folks. Really sorry I let myself fall behind on these uploads. I keep meaning to work on it some more and then life throws me another curveball. I reckon we just dive right in, and stop wasting your time.**_

 _ **-Haywire**_

Zuko's Crew has been at sea for far too long. Everyone's tired, the ship's engines need to restock on whale oil, and the supplies are dwindling. Zuko acknowledges they have to make port soon. There's just one problem. The nearest port is occupied by one of the most ruthless, self-serving men Zuko's ever had the displeasure of knowing.

 _Zhao._

Zhao is a glory-hound of the highest order, is exactly the kind of man Zuko's father would respect, and even worse, has it out for Zuko. If it were up to him, they would avoid him entirely, but the reality of the situation is that the ship _needs_ that oil. Zuko orders his crew to pull in to the little town that Zhao is occupying.

Naturally, Zhao is waiting for them to disembark. _Great._

"I want our resupply done as soon as possible. We don't want to miss him at Kyoshi."

Iroh clarifies. "You mean the Avatar."

 _"Don't_ say his name. If word gets out, we'll have every firebender here hunting for him, and I don't want anyone getting in the way."

"Getting in the way of _what,_ Prince Zuko?"

Inwardly, Zuko curses. He'd been hoping to avoid Zhao.

Mercifully, Iroh steps in to prevent Zuko from feeding the commander his teeth.

"Getting in the way of our resupply, Commander. We must be moving on soon."

Zhao seems unconvinced, "The Fire Lord's family are always welcome guests. What brings you to my harbor?"

"We're merely restocking our supplies of whale oil. Our mission has sent us far," Iroh says, as if his nephew wasn't spirit-branded, and they _hadn't_ just met the Avatar a short time prior.

Of course, Zhao seems to have other ideas concerning a speedy departure. He invites them for tea, and Zuko wishes for nothing more than to blow him off and leave, but Iroh gently reminds him to show the commander respect. Zuko pushes some power into his false eye, using it to plot out a quick escape if things turn South. As they round a corner, Zuko takes a look at his ship. Several of Zhao's men detain one of his crewmembers as they disembark. The Prince realizes that this invitation is meant to draw him away so he can interrogate his men. Zuko is concerned that they'll learn of his treachery so early on, and is more than prepared to make a run for it at the earliest possible moment. While he's having tea with Zhao, those fears are realized, though not in any way he'd quite expected. The "truth" that came out was only a bare-minimum, and while the Avatar's return has been revealed, It seems the crewman that was interrogated did not reveal the nature of his mark, nor the prince's alliance with the Avatar. Zuko nearly breathes a sigh of relief that his crew only said that the Avatar has returned and that he did not capture him. He'd rather sound like a failure than a traitor, regardless of how accurate the latter may be. As is, Zhao still tries to bar him from leaving, and Zuko declares he'll fight his way out if he has to. Zhao openly mocks him, and challenges him to a fire duel.

An Agni Kai. Zuko does not have the flame, and so he cannot fight a taditional fire duel. However, in such an event, there is a provision for non-benders: they may wield a weapon or a set of weapons in the event that a challenge is issued.

Zuko's pretty sure that Zhao will never allow anyone to use that loophole after today. After all, nobody said he couldn't use a weapon _and_ his powers. They aren't bending of any sort.

When the hour of the duel comes up, Zuko is ready. He's been incorporating his powers into both his sneaking and his combat. On top of that, he's not restricted to martial arts and chokeholds. He has pistols. He'll have to use them sparingly, as he must reload after each shot, but he is allowed two of them, loaded with wax bullets.

Nevertheless, his Uncle come by before the fight, concern written all over his face.

"Prince Zuko, are you sure you want to do this? Remember the last time you fought a firebending master."

"I'll never forget. But I know what I'm getting myself into. The commander won't know what hit him."

With that, he enters the ring. At the start of the fight, Zhao seeks to overpower him with large, flashy fire attacks. It only takes a moment for Zuko to dance around it, and instincts honed from years of training with both gun and sword take hold.

 _His left side is exposed, wait for the fire blast and slide underneath. Kick his leg out, kick him in the teeth. Roll left, step into his guard, feint pistol whip him across the jaw go for a jab to the gut dodgeleft pull trigger, fireblast comingfromthe right. Step back, reload cone of fire he can'tsee shoot through it throw crystal. Teleportbehindhim clubhishead drop crystal kick it shootshoot he'sturning teleportthroughthefirereload cock gun chokehold._

. . .And in just a few short moments, Zuko has disoriented Zhao, blasted him with wax, bludgeoned him with his _very_ unwieldy guns, and then forced the commander into a chokehold, gun pointed at his head. Zhao sneers and rages, calling him a coward when he refuses to take the shot and drops him. As Zuko turns away, Zhao attacks him. Before he can get very far, though, a powerful, tightly controlled stream of fire flies half an inch past his head.

Iroh has intervened.

"Attacking a foe after you've already lost the duel? Even in exile, my nephew is more honorable than you. Thank you for the tea, commander. We'll be taking our leave now."

Zhao is _livid._ Zuko wouldn't be surprised if Zhao struck out now, in an effort to sabotage his hunt.

 _If only he knew._

 _ **And that's probably it, folks. I know I've let too much time pass between updates, but I couldn't really get in a creative writing sort of move, between college and the like. I hope y'all enjoy it. I had thought maybe it'd be a good idea to during the fight scenes sort of write what goes through zuko's head. To that end I wanted to emphasize how much was reactions and basic movements that lead to Zhao's loss here. I also wanted to point out that Zuko is not an expert marksman, he is trained with a pistol, but he's not especially skilled. I also had a review questioning the nature of the guns in the world I've made here. Pistols are a recent invention, they've only been around for the last couple of decades. Technology progressed rapidly for the Fire Nation when the volatile properties of whale oil were discovered. Steam engines were swapped out for oil-burning mechanisms, various oil-powered machines were invented, such as the alarm systems and the deadly walls of light. Even old designs such as crossbows were revisited, now firing explosive, oil-tipped bolts. Grenades came into play shortly after, initially as guerilla fighters in the Earth Kingdom started throwing clay pots filled with oil and scrapmetal. The Fire Nation refined it to a carefully crafted, high-powered weapon. Other gear that comes up will be explained as it becomes relevant.**_


End file.
